CBI to question 3 top officials of Bihar govt

Played crucial role in releasing funds to NGO

The CBI, probing the alleged sexual abuse of minor girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, is preparing to question three senior officials of the social welfare department of the state for their alleged role in releasing funds to the accused NGO. The agency is also probing their alleged proximity with the prime accused Brajesh Thakur.

“It is suspected that three senior public servants of the revenue department of the state government played crucial role in releasing funds to the NGO belonging to Thakur. They will soon be called for questioning in connection with the case,” sources said.

The agency sleuths have already collected certain files pertaining to the shelter home.

“We are scrutinising financial records of the NGO. The CBI is collecting all relevant documents from other concerned authorities as part

◗ The CBI is also planning to confront sanitation worker Gaurav with Brajesh Thakur during custodial interrogation. The agency recently arrested Thakur’s sanitation worker Gaurav, a resident of Karja in Muzaffarpur district.

◗ The CBI has already frozen 20 bank accounts of accused Brajesh Thakur

of its investigation into the case,” sources said.

Besides, CBI is also planning to confront sanitation worker Gaurav with Brajesh Thakur during custodial interrogation. The agency recently arrested Thakur’s sanitation worker Gaurav, a resident of Karja in Muzaffarpur district. The sexual abuse of 34 girls over a period of time in the state governmentfunded shelter home came to light after a social audit was conducted by the Mumbai- based Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

The CBI has already frozen 20 bank accounts of Thakur.

The Supreme Court recently vacated a Patna high court order restraining the media from reporting on the probe into the Muzaffarpur shelter home case where several women were allegedly raped and sexually abused over a period of time. After the incident came to light, an FIR was subsequently registered by the Bihar social welfare department and 10 people, including Thakur, were arrested. Following a huge outcry, the Nitish Kumar government handed over the probe to the CBI.

His social welfare minister Manju Verma had to resign in August after it was disclosed that her husband had spoken to Thakur several times between January and June.

The CBI had carried out searches at her residence in Patna and Begusarai in August, they said.